![]() | ANECDOTES OF THE PASSIONS AND VICISSITUDES OF
GAMESTERS. The gaming table : its votaries and victims, in all times and countries,
especially in England and in France. Vol. 2 | ![]() |
PENSIONED OFF BY A GAMING HOUSE.
A visitor at Frascati's gaming house in Paris tells us: —
`I saw the Chevalier de la C — (a descendant of the once celebrated romance-writer) when he was nearly ninety. The mode of life of this old man was singular. He had lost a princely property at the play-table, and by a piece of good fortune of rare occurrence to gamesters, and unparalleled generosity, the proprietors of the salon allowed him a pension to support him in his miserable senility, just sufficient to supply him with a wretched lodging — bread, and a change of raiment once in every three or four years! In addition to this he was allowed a supper — which was, in fact,
A Mr R — y, son of a baronet, left Wattier's club one night with only £4 in his pocket, saying that he would look in at the hells. He did so, and, returning after three o'clock in the morning, offered to bet £500 that he had above £4000. The result proved that he had £4300, all won at gaming tables, from the small beginning of £4. He then sat down to play games of skill at Wattier's, and went home at six o'clock without a single pound! The same man subsequently won
A major of the Rifle Brigade, in consequence of gambling in London, by which he lost vast sums of money, went out of his senses and died a few years ago in an asylum. This occurred within the last ten or twelve years.
Says Mr Seymour Harcourt, in his `Gaming Calendar,' `I have myself seen hanging in chains a man whom, a short time before, I saw at a Hazard table!'
Hogarth lent his tremendous power to the portrayal of the ruined gamester, and shows it to the life in his print of the gaming house in the `Rake's Progress.'
Three stages of that species of madness which attends gaming are there described. On the first shock all is inward dismay. The ruined gamester is represented leaning against a wall with his arms across, lost in an agony of horror. Shortly after this horrible gloom bursts into a storm and fury. He tears in pieces whatever comes near him, and, kneeling down, invokes curses on himself. His next attack is on others — on every one whom he imagines to have been instrumental in his ruin. The eager joy of the winning gamester, the atten
![]() | ANECDOTES OF THE PASSIONS AND VICISSITUDES OF
GAMESTERS. The gaming table : its votaries and victims, in all times and countries,
especially in England and in France. Vol. 2 | ![]() |